Johan H. Knapen

Right after the Big Bang, the Universe was a chemical desert — only hydrogen and helium, not a hint of metals. But moments passed (by cosmic standards), and the birth of the first stars — Population III — began.

The night sky only looks black: telescopes reveal millions of galaxies, but some are so dim they blend into the background. Astronomers caught just such a "nearly invisible" one by chance while observing the Virgo Cluster with the two-meter telescope at Teide Observatory. The galaxy is named TTT J1237327+143535.